To Sew the Seeds of Discord
by Lyuh
Summary: "We can count on each other as friends from now on, right?" Florina and Ninian only grew closer after their separation to become Marchioness Ostia and Pherae, respectively. After all, they were each the only person the other could trust in these affairs.
1. Chapter One: Letters

I forgot to add. And it's been pointed out and I feel like a douchebag! But it won't break my stride.

The "Sew" in the title is actually part of a running gag about Ninian. It unfolds throughout the story; someting like this needs a bit of humor splashed around. I certainly hope that people read this even if it looks like a typo/incorrect diction. Maybe I should just change it. Oh well.

* * *

Hector of Ostia was just a year older than his friend Eliwood of Pherae when he went through his ascension ceremony to be named leader of not only Ostia, but also the head of the Lycian League. His ceremony took place some three months before Eliwood's own, and in that short time frame, he took – much to everyone's surprise – a meek young knight of Ilia named Florina as his bride. Despite the people's fears, the young lass proved to be more than just charming and sweet; she quickly took it as her own role to help manage Ostia's finances and the likes, and was very popular at court. When Hector and she traveled the distance to the southern coast of Elibe to see Eliwood named Marquess, she had already been accepted in name and popularity much more quickly than any previous Lady of the House.

During the festivities after Eliwood's own ceremony, rumor was abound that the young man, as his dear friend had, would be taking a mere commoner as his own bride. There was abundant proof to feed the curiosities of the maids and the ladies of the foreign court, but the poor girl who was followed by scathing words and glances held herself strong and served her new lord happily – after all, she had only moved to Pherae when Eliwood and his knights had returned from some quest to avenge his late father, and as the truth would be, she had traveled with the lot of them for some time, and she and the new Marquess Pherae were quite a bit closer than one would normally expect. And, as it would be, during the year that Eliwood had traversed the continent in search of truth, Florina of Ostia had befriended Ninian, the maiden who had captured young Lord Eliwood's heart. That was, perhaps, the meeting that triggered a strange fate for the both of them, a calling that could save or destroy the world.

**Chapter One : Letters**

"I really do miss you a lot," the flowing script read. Florina couldn't help but grin as she read her dear friend's letter – sent by Lord Eliwood's personal courier, of course, for utmost privacy. It had been three years now since she had seen Ninian, since she had attended her marriage to Lord Eliwood alongside her dear, overworked husband. She could remember their parting embrace – the closest of friends, they had become in such a short time. It hurt ever so badly to be this far away, but a council meeting of the Lords of the League was in the process of being scheduled currently, and the possibility of seeing her friend made her smile all the wider.

"The people are beginning to talk, though." The sudden flaws in Ninian's otherwise impeccable writing nearly wiped the happiness right out of Florina's heart. "Lord Eliwood and I have been sharing a bedroom for nigh two years, but I still have not produced an heir, nor even a little girl. I highly doubt I am pregnant as I write this, of course – you mustn't tell anyone, but my dear has been feeling quite under the weather for three weeks now, and he has barely had the strength to kiss me at the end of the night, let alone try for a child." Florina nodded despite herself – she couldn't help but understand that situation all too well, with her husband being the most important person in Lycia currently.

"Forgive me this history lesson, love, but I was raised in a faraway land, and I cannot help but fear that I will never bear a child. Are you familiar with the circumstances of the Scouring? From what I was raised knowing, dragonkind lost the wars because of their inability to reproduce as quickly as the humans. A female dragon cannot bear children more than once every several hundred years, and I think not that Lord Eliwood can wait that long. There is also a possibility that I am not able to conceive at all; you do remember dear Rebecca, do you not? She also misses you very much, but that aside, we had a discussion about my heritage some fortnight ago, and she raised concern that, bless her heart, I would be as fertile as a mule.

"I will try to keep my hopes up despite this all. Lord Eliwood asked for a private audience with me yesterday upon the morn, and he spoke of taking in an orphaned child and feigning a pregnancy if I do not conceive within two more years. I feel terrible when I think of such a thing – it will be the end of the true Pherae bloodline, and it will be my fault, but even so, he tells me every day that he loves me and does not care much about such things as wicked blue blood, so I should not worry myself. He really does lighten the mood more often than not.

"Since I have spoken of Rebecca just now, I thought that it would be best to lighten up this dark topic with some news. It seems that she has missed her monthly cycle twice now – I am rather glad that I do not have this to worry about, but it does make it harder to discern whether or not I could be with child. Anyway, she shows no other sign of her pregnancy, but her husband is right proud of himself for accomplishing this much, and she shows her love for him by scolding him all the more. They were made for each other, I tell you." At this, Florina giggled – Rebecca, who had been appointed as Ninian's first lady-in-waiting, had the patience of a perturbed hornet when it came to one thing: men. And, as fate would have it, she had fallen for a knight of the Caelin canton who was known for his incessant foolishness and love of all women - polar opposites, but otherwise inseparable. Florina was surprised that Sain had made such a change in his usual debauchery for his wife, but he was a good friend, and in that, she had learned that he was a good man.

"I will write again quite soon, and send it with the usual messenger. I apologize for this rather depressing matter, but I felt there to be no better person to share my fears with. Do write me soon, Florina of Ostia, and know that my best wishes are always with you. With love and adoration, Ninian of Pherae."

Florina's mind was reeling by the time she read Ninian's usual sweet closing lines. While she and the whole of the group that had traveled at Eliwood's side in his quest to find his father knew of Ninian's shocking identity – a half-human, half-dragon from a land far beyond their own, unreachable except through a magical gate that was sealed from the other side – she had never known the bit about a dragon's reproductive cycle. According to her friend, there was a staggering possibility that there would be no heir to the Pherae bloodline, and she knew that if it were found out that Lord Eliwood had even dared to mention a fake pregnancy – well, he would probably be lynched, no matter how the people adored him and his kindly wife, whom they had grown to respect and love as if she were a Lycian princess, herself. Florina could not even tell her husband of this. While Hector and Eliwood had gone to school together and kept in contact as much as possible, the knowledge would just be a burden to him – another dark secret to keep, something else always on his mind on a sleepless night. Florina couldn't do that to him, so she folded the letter and tucked it carefully into her desk, in a secret drawer where nobody would find it. If Eliwood felt the need to discuss this matter with her husband, so be it. But – her poor Ninian! Her heart did weep for the beautiful dragon girl.

At least the news of Rebecca's pregnancy lifted her spirits the tiniest bit. Florina had received her very first job as a mercenary knight serving alongside the Caelin knight Sain, and despite his tendencies, he really was a good man, and quite honest in all matters. Though, she had been somewhat upset upon hearing of their marriage initially – the news had been delivered via word of mouth from another man who had loved Rebecca very much and had just been stopping by Ostia for a visit. Oh, Wil was the sweetest boy she knew – he wasn't gruff like her beloved Hector, and he was a bit loud at times, but always so excitable and happy. It had felt so wrong to see the hurt in his eyes, but he had smiled for Rebecca before leaving the castle and disappearing somewhere. Florina hadn't been able to contact him since that day, and she hoped very much that he was doing well wherever he was.

With all this weighing heavily on her heart, she put out the single candle on the desk in her study and left the room. Hector would be in Thria for several more days, helping sort out some dispute that hardly seemed as important as Ninian's dilemma, so she didn't even have his strong arms to grab onto, and only a cold bed waited for her in the next room. For the first night in what seemed like forever, she became the weak young girl she had once been and cried herself to sleep, her tears a prayer for her dearest friends who had so many troubles without deserving a single one.

* * *

Hector of Ostia stared down at the paper in his hands in disbelief. Not only was Eliwood's usual neat writing all wrong and hard to read, but the paper appeared to be spotted in something – coffee, tea, blood, tears; there really was no telling with his red-haired friend. Though, judging by the contents of the letter, he assumed the sloppiness was mostly due to the last option. He'd not heard or read anything so depressing from Eliwood since the terrible episode back when the previous Marquess Pherae had been murdered in front of them, and that was quite a long time ago now. "Hector," the beginning of the letter read, "I am in need of your reassurance."

And that? It never, ever happened. At least not when it came to matters of the heart or soul. Eliwood had always been the cool-headed one of the pair, though he occasionally lost his temper back in the day. Somehow, Hector couldn't imagine what had become of his blood brother for him to be this distressed.

"Last night, Merlinus pulled me aside and relayed a message from our people in Laus. The dastard has been spreading rumors that Ninian was a lady of the night, and that she is impotent from that line of work on top of being of common blood. I've been informed that he has sent this 'fear' of his in word to Araphen, Khathelet, and Ryerde, and each of them have, in turn, sent private demands that Ninian conceive by the end of the summer, or else my title shall be put in jeopardy for bringing 'such filth' to the courts of Lycia."

Hector wanted to vomit. That cur Laus had been trying to get Eliwood in trouble since they were children, had nearly killed him in the ordeal with his father, and now this? It was common knowledge that Ninian had been a dancer traveling with her brother, a young musician, and that they had traveled with Eliwood and his small army those few years ago, but Ninian had been much too quiet and sweet to be anything more than just that – an innocent, beautiful woman who danced for love and happiness and peace, never for anything tainted or ill of heart. Hell, her younger brother had been a bit of a spitfire at times, but neither of them were capable of doing anything so immoral as what Eric of Laus had dared insinuate.

"Don't get me wrong – I know that you would prevent me from being voted out of the council, as our leader, but do not think that I am appealing to you on a political note. This is merely friend-to-friend, brother-to-brother. I need to tell you, while Ninian may have been perfectly chaste on our wedding night, I fear that the last part of his words could be true. She has always spoken truthfully to me, and she came to me one night last week in tears. I could barely calm her down, but once I had, she proceeded to inform me that Laus's words are being spoken even in the streets of Pherae, and that the sweet milk maid who she meets every morning with tea had heard people who normally speak not but words of praise for her suddenly change their minds and say filthy things. You know Ninian – she does not deserve to be treated as such. I cannot do anything to quell the gossip, lest I lose my honor as a ruler, but seeing her weep so tears me up inside. I can only smile so much.

"Hector, as a dragon, she may not be able to bear me a child. At this point, even a girl would put the people at rest, and while I am happy with just her at my side, I do not know what I am to do. Marcus has bade me not to worry, but I must. I love her; she is my wife for that very reason. I cannot give her up. I shall never cast her aside for her imperfections. Tell me, what am I to do if I have no children?"

There wasn't even a farewell. And, try as he might, Hector could think of nothing to tell Eliwood on the matter. With a sigh, he took a piece of parchment and scribbled a short note in return.

"Be strong for her and do not worry. The time will come. Now stop crying like a baby and do your job as a man." And then, as an added note at the bottom, "I'm sorry. Best wishes."

Hector folded the paper and sealed it before handing it to the bewildered messenger girl. "If you make it there by the end of the day, I'll double your payment on the return trip." He turned and stalked from the room, trying not to worry too much lest he be delayed further on this god-forsaken political trip. Thria was not a place he enjoyed being for more than a day at a time, and he missed his wife dearly.

* * *

This eventually unfolds into the world's most messed-up love web. There is no shape that could contain such an amorphous wad of utter crap. And, for the curious, this is very longfic and spans both the time-between and the second generation of Elibe-verse games.

As of this chapter, we have confirmed the marriages of Eliwood/Ninian, Hector/Florina, and Sain/Rebecca. Now, watch as it all unravels. Well, all except EliNini; I don't think anything could ever seperate those two fluffy lovebunnies, no matter how hard they tried.

Next chapter involves introduction of Hector's feelings about the Cornwells, as well as the precursor to Florina's affair. Also, we start to see actual tension in Eliwood and Ninian's marriage. Oh, the drama.


	2. Chapter Two: Onsets

**Chapter Two : Onsets **

"Lord Eliwood, you really should eat your breakfast. If Lady Ninian comes back in here and sees you gazing at your oatmeal like that, she may begin to think that it has been making you ill and refuse to eat it herself. She could stand to gain a few pounds lately, you know."

"I'm sorry, Rebecca, but I'm just not hungry." The red-haired man sighed for the umpteenth time that morning and took his spoon in hand, doing nothing more than stirring the contents of the bowl before him. He'd been this way for some time now, ever since sending a rush messenger to Lord Hector of Ostia back in the spring. Now, the leaves were turning, and young Rebecca could only hope that this mood soon would as well.

"You haven't eaten in two days. If Sir Lowen finds out, I daresay he'll not leave you alone until you've eaten a proper feast."

Eliwood managed a tiny smile. "You're probably right about that... Come, sit if you will." He gestured to the empty chair across the the small table, and Rebecca took it gladly. "I've been far too tired as of the late, and I find that I've been neglecting to speak to the people I actually care about. How have you been holding up?"

Rebecca smiled brightly. "Very well, though if I may, my back is so sore that not even a hot bath will fix it anymore. This child is going to pay for it later on, mind you."

"Don't overwork yourself," said Eliwood with genuine concern. "Really, you do enough around here. I can ask someone else to help you out, just until you've given birth and recovered properly..."

"Of course not, sir." Rebecca pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Then you'd get away with starving yourself half to death, and poor Lady Ninian would never be able to tie a sash around her dress."

Eliwood's sour mood seemed to be waning quickly; he chuckled at her words as easily as he had several years beforehand. "All right, if you insist, for the sake of Ninian dressing. But if you go into labor, you silly thing, at least lay down for a while."

"I think I can live with that one."

"...Thank you." Eliwood leaned back and covered his mouth, yawning in a way that didn't help Rebecca's worries at all. He took a moment to regain his bearings before propping his head up with both hands, which was completely improper, but it didn't seem he cared much at the moment. "You've done much to lift my spirits as usual. I really can't thank you enough."

"Being able to serve you and Lady Ninian is more than enough reward," Rebecca assured him, speaking from her heart. "I enjoy what I do, and you're both such wonderful people. I just hope that I'm doing enough."

"Believe me, you-"

"Lord Eliwood!"

The two paused for a moment, caught off guard by the woman's voice carrying over from the the next room over. They simultaneously jumped from their chairs as if they had spontaneously combusted beneath them and burst through the hardwood door that separated the royal couple's private dining room from their bedroom, only to find Lady Ninian standing there before a mirror, half-dressed and eyes wide with shock.

"Ninian? What's wrong?" Eliwood took his wife's hands in his own, concern all but gushing out of every word he spoke as he stepped nearer, worried that she was hurt somehow or... Well, he didn't know what, but it hadn't sounded appealing from above the soul-sucking oatmeal on the table in the next room over.

Ninian was holding one end of a satin ribbon in each end of her tiny hands, still gazing at the mirror despite the fact that her dress was unlaced in the back and she wasn't wearing an underskirt. "Will you button this for me, love?" she whispered. "I... I can't seem to work my fingers too well this morning."

With a sigh of relief, Eliwood took each end of the sash from her and pulled it around just below her waist, tying it quickly and neatly. "We were actually just speaking about this, Rebecca and I," he murmured, obviously amused. "You startled us." He began working at the dress, then, pushing the first button through its matching hole.

"Well... it startled me, too," said Ninian, watching his every move in the mirror.

He seemed to be having trouble, too. "Ninian, this is just a little too small for you," he ceded after a long moment of fumbling with the buttons, only a little frustrated.

Rebecca squealed and took Ninian's hands this time, whirling around. "Lady Ninian! Your favorite dress? This is wonderful!"

It took a few seconds for the whole thing to register in Eliwood's mind, but once he realized why his wife had so frantically called him just to tie a sash around her waist, it dawned on him perfectly clearly. "I... I... Ninian..."

"I was waiting just to be sure, but this is the fifth dress this month!" Ninian giggled happily, even as Rebecca spun her in circles. "I would have said something sooner, but I wanted to be sure... You're going to have an heir soon!"

Eliwood actually broke his fast properly that morning for the first time in months. Nobody could explain his odd behavior until nigh two months later, when it was quite obvious that Ninian would finally bear him a healthy child. Strangely enough, not long after word was sent to Ostia of this wonderful news, a return letter came with the message that Lady Florina seemed to be with child as well, only a few short months after finally sharing a bedroom with Lord Hector. The unrest in Pherae settled at long last, and the terrible rumors about Lady Ninian were all but forgotten, replaced by a shower of gifts that rained upon the castle day after day. The couple could not have been happier, were it not for the fatigue they now shared as they worked endlessly day after day to make their home a better place.

* * *

"'And I tell you, Raymond? It's got to be the worst secret name in the world.' That's what got me!"

Hector choked on his tea, sitting opposite his wife in one of the castle's informal dining rooms. Florina had been in high spirits ever since hearing the news of Ninian's conception, almost too much so for his tastes; though, seeing the sparkle in the beautiful girl's eyes, he couldn't help but fall in love all over again, each and every day now. "Th-that's definitely that archer kid," he mused, after he recovered from the surprise attack on his sanity. "D'he just write to you out of the blue?"

"Well, no," Florina said. She placed a rather crumpled sheet of paper on the table beside her saucer, still all smiles as she had been since the morning courier had delivered the letter. "I talked to my sister-"

"Which one? The angel, or the devil?"

Florina swatted the air in what may have been a menacing way, had someone other than herself been the one to execute the motion. "It was Farina, darling, now really. She's not all bad all the time."

"Just most of the time," he grumbled.

"Hector!"

"All right, all right. I'm just teasing."

The woman shook her head and giggled the tiniest bit, eyelashes fluttering low. "You're so silly sometimes, but you really must watch what you say. The last time you said something about how skinny Prince Zephiel was..."

"All right, go on. I'm curious now, and I don't want to bring that episode up."

"Well," said Florina, "I wrote her to see if I could talk her into asking around Badon, since she's been working with that Dart fellow – you remember, the one whom Lord Eliwood's Rebecca took for her runaway brother? Well, she wrote me the very next week and told me that Dart – I suppose he might be going by Dan now, but I still haven't figured it out – has been keeping in touch with Wil over the past few years."

"Uh-huh. And why hasn't he been writing to you, when he's been chatting it up with that pirate all this time?"

"Well, there was a misunderstanding." Florina shrugged a bit. "It turns out that he and Sir Sain may have had a bit of an argument before he left Pherae, and things were said, and... Well, we're going to talk about it. He says that he will be stopping in Ostia to see me on his way back to Pherae. It seems the Cornwell boy and Father Lucius are still trying to gather funds for their orphanage, and Lord Eliwood has offered to help."

Hector swallowed a bit. He knew the only reason the pair hadn't come directly to him: the whole tragedy of the ex-House Cornwell, the suspicion of deceit on the late Lord Uther of Ostia's part, everything had been so hard for Raymond of Cornwell to forget so easily. He had spoken to the man after the ordeal with Eliwood's father, and while he – Raven, as he was called now – had forgiven him his lack of knowledge on the matter, things were still very awkward and the subject was extremely sensitive, even among the other houses of the League. Going to Eliwood was probably the best idea.

Florina seemed not to notice his minute shuffling, as she kept on going with her explanation. "Wil's been going around with the two of them since he left here, trying to raise money and help with their mercenary work. It's really quite admirable, but I suppose he's just that kind of person. Why, he came along with Lyn even though she couldn't offer him any pay, back before we met you or even Lord Eliwood... My, that was a long time ago." She paused for a moment, gazing no longer at her loving husband, but at the large window on the eastern side of the room and into the distance it revealed. "...I haven't heard from Lyn for such a long time. I do hope she's doing well... It's not like her to be like this. She promised me that she would keep in touch..."

With a sigh, Hector reached beneath the table to take his wife's hands into his own. "I'm sure she's fine, Florina. You know Lyn. She's probably off in her own little world, too busy chasing a kid around to even think about herself anymore. I've gotten no word from my men in Bulgar, so we know that she hasn't gone missing or anything. It's a busy season for the Kutolah... And, pretty soon, we'll be busy, too."

At those words, Florina looked back to him and nodded. "You're probably right. I don't need to worry about Lyn. She can take care of herself just fine..."

"She can do more than just fine. Why, she'll be like a mother bear if anyone so much as gets close to her family. I pity any man foolish enough to take her wrath on straightforward."

"...You know, it's often hard to tell if your compliments really are just that, or if they're cleverly disguised insults." Florina wasn't upset at him, though; she was having a hard time keeping a straight face now. "I do love you, dear."

"And I love you, too." Hector squeezed her hands gently before letting them fall to her lap once more and getting to his feet. "I guess I need to go meet with that Etrurian dolt before Oswin loses his head looking for me. Don't strain yourself, okay? If you get tired with all that paperwork, leave it be. I'll take care of it all tonight."

"It's no problem," she told him, smiling serenely. "I enjoy it, actually. It's relaxing."

He didn't seem to buy it. "If you say so. Bye now – but don't forget what I said. I really mean it."

Florina just hummed her understanding as he left the room, leaving her alone in the light of the morning sun that shone through the window to the east, the window that led to her long-silent best friend somewhere on the plains. She hoped Lyn was more than happy, wherever she was. After a few more moments of mulling over the various topics at hand, Florina stood, leaving her breakfast only half-eaten, and took the paper on the table into her hands once more. Her lips curled upward as she read over the sloppy handwriting that she'd grown to know back in the days when she'd served House Caelin, the haphazard scrawl that matched her old friend's happy-go-lucky attitude so well even though his words were embellished and strange.

"Dearest Lady Florina – I hope this letter finds you well. I have heard the news even here in Aquleia! I'm very happy to hear that you're with child, because you're going to be a perfect mother. That aside, I owe you an apology for being silent for so long. From what I'd heard from a man I once thought to be noble, you wanted nothing to do with me, but I guess it was foolish of me not to bring it up when I brought you the news of Rebecca's marriage. I really have missed you, and I hope that you trust me enough to believe that. I cannot apologize enough, so let me make it up to you? I'd love to chat if you have the time.

"I've been working to raise money for Raven and Father Lucius's orphanage; we are here in the north trying to get approval from the Elimine church for whatever reason. Father Lucius says it's important, so I will believe him. Once we have cleared the clergy, we will most likely pass through Ostia on our way to meet with Lord Eliwood to discuss some funds that he has offered our cause, maybe spend a night. I'd like to meet with you then, if possible.

"Also, even if this doesn't have anything to do with the rest of this, I found out about Raven's past one night when we were a little less than sober at a pub. I had no clue that he was of the same rank as Lords Eliwood and Hector in the past, and what happened really was awful. He has no more hard feelings, though, which is always a good thing! You should let Lord Hector know that he's doing so well. And I tell you, Raymond? It's got to be the worst secret name in the world. But, like usual, I'm the last person to know.

"We have a lot of catching up to do if you don't hate me. Dart or Dan or whatever he's going by these days tells me that Miss Farina says that you have been looking for me for a while. (Raven says it's good that we aren't leaving a conspicuous trail, but I think he's just paranoid sometimes.) I'm taking that as a sign that I'll be allowed an audience with the most important Lady in all of Lycia? Forgive me if I'm being... presumptuous.

"I look forward to seeing you within the month. If I am not to come to Castle Ostia, do feel free to send a letter back. I'm sure the three of us will be here for another week; the address of our inn is on the back of this paper. Know that I think about you often, and that I will always wish sweet little (Lady) Florina the best. Take care. Sincerely forever, Wil."

Florina of Ostia planned not on sending any paper barring her dear friend from her life, not within the week and not ever. She missed him dreadfully, and the thought of seeing Wil made her want to weep with joy. She would have time for that, though, once she got done figuring out where fifteen percent of the weapons fund had gone to in the previous two weeks.

* * *

Once, she had been Lyn of the Lorca, a carefree girl from the plains who knew naught but helping straggling young pegasus knights who'd been stranded in the grassy fields, who knew how to hunt and fish and track both people and game. After her peaceful tribe had been slaughtered by Bernese bandits, though, she had become Lady Lyndis of Caelin, the long-lost granddaughter of the now-late Marquess Hausen. She had taken up a sacred blade, and it had led her on a wild journey full of magic, war, and fearsome dragons whose power was exponentially beyond her own. Both before and after helping Eliwood and Hector with their problems, she had learned how to be a proper lady, how to wear a dress and walk properly and how to breathe while wearing a corset, and she had been escorted to many dances by men whose names she could not remember, and very few whose names she could. Sadly enough, her grandfather had died within a year, and she had left all that behind for the peaceful plains once more. She had then changed her identity again, becoming Lyn of the Kutolah, and had changed herself, her habits, to fit in with her new people as the bride of the chieftain's son.

She loved her Rath dearly, and she loved how things were almost as they had been long ago – she was surrounded by her fellow plainsmen and women, and there were no politics to worry about, no restricting undergarments or terrible fashion fads that she had to keep up with, and she didn't even have to draw her blade to protect herself any longer. Life should have been wonderful, but things never were as they seemed, as she should have learned long ago.

The past five years had blazed by so quickly, it was almost hard to believe that she had once been unable to understand how foreign governments worked, or how water could be made to flow through long pipes without a current. She had cried, smiled, and been at peace during it all, each emotion fleeting yet immensely powerful, seemingly suffocating until the next had taken its grasp on her and time had continued to flow.

But now... all she felt was a dull ache where her heart used to be. Seeing her husband every morning when the sun rose above the distant horizon was always wonderful, and when he was at her side, everything still managed to seem as magical as one of those spells cast by a master sage. But he had become busy lately, and all too often she wouldn't see him for days as he went out on hunts and struggled to prove his worth to his father all the more. It was hard to imagine what her poor Rath must be going through day in and day out just to stay with the people who never had been his family. He remained loyal to them yet, and he was trying his hardest to correct the errors of his ways that had only been caused by their initial abandonment. She was furious at the lot of them, but she could not let anybody know, lest she be outcast any more than she already was. She was not one of them; she was a mixed breed, a girl birthed of a foreign tribe and a faraway land, and she knew of both worlds and could tell stories of her many adventures, but she was not normal because of it.

Lyn, Lyndis, Lady or not, understood all too well the suffering that Ninian of Pherae must have gone through in order to stay at her husband's side. Her respect for her friend had grown anew each day since her days of living with the Kutolah had begun, and she felt very much that she should let her know. Thus, one night, she spoke softly to her darling; "I must go," she told him, "but I will not be gone for long. I must see my friends at least once more."

"I will not stop you," he told her, "nor do I want you to stay. Fly on, Lyn and Lyndis of the Lorca and of the Lycian Kings. You must never let the ones you love disappear from your life." He had changed in his short time with his tribe – had matured to a level even beyond what he had been so long ago. He sounded tired, but his eyes told her everything that his words did not. Rath of the Kutolah and of the solitary plains knew her aching, and he did not wish for her to suffer. He believed that she would come back and that she loved him, as she would and did, respectively. He did not want to control her as the other worlds of Elibe wanted to; he wanted her to be free and happy, like the young woman he had met so long ago.

Before the sun had fully risen over the distant eastern coast, Lyn had gathered a blanket, her sword, and her bow, and she left the Kutolah for the first time. What she had not expected was the inexplicable urge to visit her second home, the one that had never felt like a home while she had been trapped inside its castle. She did miss the people of Caelin, and so she decided to make her trip a large circle around the Lycian League. First, she would visit her Caelin; afterwards, she would travel southward to Pherae, to share her sentiments with Lady Ninian, and then she would travel north until she could see her dearest, closest friend, Lady Florina of Ostia, who she just knew had been aching from their distance as much as she had. She rode through the foreign fields with a sense of adventure and purpose that she hadn't felt since she had left this perplexing world of knights and kings, and she couldn't say that she detested the feeling of a proper lady's dress as much as she once had. The homesickness that she had once felt for her vast green plains had flipped entirely around and played with her mind, it seemed. For the first time in years, she was home again, in her beloved grandfather's beautiful lands.

* * *

Can you feel the tension rising? Eliwood and Ninian are very tired. Florina is lonely and Hector is too busy. Rebecca is a sweetheart all around, though I sadly neglected to _actually_ _write Sain. _And Lyn makes her appearance, being restless and free like the wind; how dare she add an extra destination to her travels without letting her husband know? Of course, the reasoning is totally innocent, but still.

I think it's perfectly plausible that Lyn would grow to miss Caelin in the years post-game, especially if she were wed to Rath. Rath is a standoffish guy and would probably become an important part of the Kutolah tribe, not that I dislike him. (In fact, I actually really like him.) I think part of her love for Sacae is a yearning to _belong_ somewhere. Of course, she grew up there, but that only goes so far. I honestly don't see her as the type to settle down completely, for a piece of her heart will always be missing no matter where she goes. That being said, we have also established Rath/Lyn now, but that relationship is obviously not very tightly knit.

Anyway, we're just barely at the tip of the iceberg with these first two chapters; the actual action of the plot doesn't start unfolding until around chapter eight. By then, the sewing thing will have been made clear. I promise. Thank you for reading, and feel free to let me know if there are any errors or any other concerns you may have.


	3. Chapter Three: Sowing the Seeds

**Chapter Three : Sowing the Seeds of Turmoil**

As everyone in the seaside Pherae castle town had expected, Lady Rebecca didn't halt in her duties for more than two days upon giving birth to a very happy baby boy, and the only reason she did take those two days off was to wait for a proper surgeon to travel from Santaruz, just to the north, to fix whatever it was that she had torn so badly during her labor. Lord Eliwood had done nothing but pace as one of his dearest servants lay bedridden for those long hours, and Lady Ninian had only escaped the same fate due to her insistence that she be allowed to help care for her favorite lady and her newborn son, and nothing anybody tried to do or say could sway her intentions. Lady Eleanora, who was Lord Eliwood's cherished mother, was sure to let her son know that she loved her daughter-in-law all the more for it, and Lord Eliwood could only laugh and compare their stubbornness in these matters. (Lady Eleanora had studied in Etruria for some time in her youth, and was of some use with healing staves when Lord Elbert, Eliwood's late father, would come home from his patrols of the countryside covered in bruises.)

Lady Ninian took quite a liking to Rebecca's son during the first few hours of his life and even attempted to gift the new mother a blanket of her own making, but the project didn't turn out so well. With apologies to her tutors, she instead opted to see that Rebecca had proper time to spend at the side of her son's crib throughout the day. Though this type of behavior was unprecedented for a proper Lady of the House, none of the women at court could find anything bad to say about it; they, perhaps, grew to love their lady liege just a bit more now as she glided about the halls of the lively castle, her happiness as conspicuous as her swollen belly. She was praised more than ever for her kindness and generosity, and certainly, the night that Rebecca came to her in tears, she demonstrated her amiable traits more than ever before.

A terrible illness had been spreading across the continent for quite some time, and it had nearly taken King Mordred of Etruria to his grave. The man was still weak, but doing much better than he initially had been; others were not so lucky. The disease did not seem to be spreading quickly, and it didn't seem to be very contagious at all, but those who found themselves stuck in their beds could only pray for their lives and ride the illness out. It was common knowledge that Sir Sain had been feeling a little more than just a little ill for the past few weeks, but his fever spiked one night as he was speaking to Sir Marcus in the castle gardens and he fell unconscious before he could make it inside. He pulled through until the next evening, but there was nothing that even the castle's best healers could do. He passed away that night, leaving his young wife and his son, only seventeen days old, alone.

That night, Lady Ninian pledged to her servant and dear friend that she would see to it that their children were properly raised together. They would be as close as blood siblings, so that the baby boy would never be left alone. Rebecca cried herself to sleep in her Lady's arms that night, sobbing words of such sincere thanks that even Lady Ninian's cloud of pregnancy-induced happiness completely shattered for a few moments, and she cried as well until sleep claimed her and she could think no more of the matter.

Rebecca was woken the next morning by a whimper of pain from her Lady. She was ashamed at herself for being so undignified in her choice of places for slumber, but her self-improvement lecture in the mirror would have to wait for later, for Lady Ninian seemed to be in extreme pain with her arms folded tightly over her abdomen. Fearing the worst, Rebecca fetched the castle healers, the doctor who had been monitoring Ninian's pregnancy, and also Lady Eleanora, showing them frantically to the private bedchamber. Had she been a few minutes later, they may not have been able to keep the poor Lady of the House from going into premature labor. When Lord Eliwood was informed of this episode, he sank into a chair and whispered words of thanks under his breath – thanks for a very special girl he'd allowed to join his ranks on that quest so long ago, a girl on whom his family had already relied so much on, and would continue to for as long as she was happy with them.

It seemed his decision to honor her with an official title wasn't payment enough for all that she ended up doing, but Dame Rebecca always carried out her duties happily. When Lady Ninian finally did give birth, her body reached its limit sometime during the delivery, and she slept for three straight days afterward. Upon finding that the woman's body couldn't provide nourishment for her newborn son, Lord Eliwood was forced to ask one of the most awkward questions of his lifetime, a decision that had been made by the doctors and Rebecca long before he mustered up the courage to ask the young widow if she would, perhaps, if she didn't find it too much of a burden, nurse his son?

Of course she agreed, and though it took the small child a few days to stabilize without his mother's milk, he grew healthy within a few weeks. By then, Lady Ninian had awoken from her deep slumber, much to the joy of the entire Pheraen people. "Long live Lord Eliwood!" they cried in the streets. "And long live our Lady Ninian, and the future of our royal family! Long live young Lord Roy!"

Had their cherished young Lord Roy been born with scales and a tail, the cries in the streets may have been much different, but it seemed to Ninian and her dear husband that they had a beautiful human baby boy to raise in the years to come, and they could hardly be happier. With Dame Rebecca there to help them through it all, they hoped to see much of the future remain as wonderful as their present.

* * *

"Enjoy your visit with your friend, dear. I'm sorry I can't be here for you, but Marquess Worde has called me to quell an uprising of farmers. I know, I know, it doesn't sound like it could be that bad, but they've already hanged his daughter in the castle town square – the idiot should have seen it coming, but the lass didn't deserve that. I'll be back as soon as this is all over." Hector had been so apologetic upon leaving that Florina had wondered if maybe he were ill, but he never failed to surprise her with extreme tenderness in the oddest of situations. Perhaps he was worried that he wouldn't be home for the birth of his own child, though Florina wasn't due for another four fortnights, and surely it couldn't take that long to solve a small problem, right?

The day after Hector's departure, she received word from the town gates that a small mercenary group led by a man named Raven had entered the streets of Ostia's castle town. She could hardly contain her excitement as her maids helped her change into something a little nicer than the dresses she'd been wearing while cramped up in her bedchamber this late in her pregnancy, and she barely had the patience to let her hair be done up properly. Though the seconds passed like hours, she somehow found her way in the receiving hall, where she and Hector usually greeted foreign nobility. She wondered – would Father Lucius stop by to say hello also? She hadn't the opportunity to get very close to him back in the days of Lyn's Legion – truth be told, she hadn't even been close to Wil back then, as she had still been dreadfully terrified of men! Oh, and would the Cornwell boy stop in? She would love to talk to him, now that he was, supposedly, at peace with the tragedy which befell his parents...

Before she knew it, Sir Oswin had come in from the front hall, leading a solitary man into the vast room. Florina could contain herself no more; with a cry of happiness, she rushed towards the two, and poor, poor Sir Oswin could barely dodge in time to clear the path. "It's really you!" she choked, and before she could stop herself, she burst into noisy sobs, gazing up at her old friend with the sweetest of smiles.

"Lady Florina... It's been so long!" Wil looked to be on the verge of exploding, himself, bouncing on his heels as he was apt to do when he was nervous; Florina knew the signs from watching him back when they had fought together, and that only made her smile grow all the wider. "I-I'm so sorry! I had no idea you still... still wanted to be my friend, Florina – I mean, Lady Florina, or I wouldn't have ever left..." His eyes were narrowed just a tiny bit, another way that she could tell that he was extremely upset still – but she could hardly offer words of forgiveness around her sobbing. He spoke quietly, then, lest Lord Hector's sworn man overhear; "You've been alone here, haven't you...?"

Florina nodded once, clenching and unclenching her fists rapidly at her sides. "L-Lord Hector does his best to stay with me, and he makes me very happy, but only Ninian keeps in touch on a regular basis," she told him. "I don't know what's become of Lyn... Serra writes every so often, but she's working in a monastery taking care of children all the time, and she just doesn't have any time to herself..."

"I'm sorry!" Wil all but yelped this time. His voice cracked like what it had when he'd told her of Rebecca's marriage to Sain, and then he started crying, too, and that only made her sob even louder, and Sir Oswin rolled his eyes at the pair of them and harrumphed. "I'll write all the time! Even if I have to use my own blood!"

Florina didn't know if she was crying anymore, or if she was laughing so hard that she could scarcely breathe. "Wil, you're so strange sometimes...!" She took a moment to catch her breath, quietly sniffling in the pathetic way that only she could make look so dignified, yet adorable. "But... I missed that so much. I really missed you. Please, don't ever disappear again..."

"I-I won't. I promise," he whispered, rubbing furiously at his eyes with his hands balled. "I think I'm allergic to some of the dust here or something... My eyes are all watery... and... And I can smell cinnamon, too, and wouldn't you know that the stuff gets me every time?"

Florina hit his shoulder, offering a tiny giggle. "Man up!" she demanded. "Ostia is no place for crybabies!" That lesson, she had learned very quickly for herself. She had grown into a strong, respectable woman.

Wil grinned so freely that she swore he hadn't aged a bit since they were young. "You're probably right, madam. You're probably right."

Oswin shook his head and left them to their own devices to stand watch at the door. Elimine forbid someone see their lady liege punch a stranger in the face next time.

* * *

"...I fear our son may not be as intelligent as we had hoped," murmured Eliwood early one morning as he stood by his wife in the nursery. "...Are children supposed to do that?" By 'that,' he was referring to their son, now two months old, and his peculiar habit of chewing on his only playmate's various body parts. Rebecca's little Wolt didn't seem to mind in the least that his arm was being slobbered on, and that led Eliwood to, perhaps, rethink his doubts about his own son just a tiny bit.

"It's too early for him to be teething," agreed Rebecca from Ninian's other side. "Maybe he's trying to eat him."

"Maybe Wolt deserves to be eaten," offered Ninian with a playful smile. Her companions both laughed at this, and they leaned even closer to the boys. "Really, it's just natural. Roy's trying to play with him."

"You think so?" Eliwood gazed at the babies, obviously not convinced. "I agree with Rebecca. Is human flesh very palatable to a dragon?"

"Very much so," said Ninian in a way that made Eliwood eye her curiously. Rebecca just laughed some more and shooed him towards the door.

"Go on, m'lord. The sooner you get the ceremonies out of the way, the sooner you can relax and enjoy the harvest!"

"But it is such a bother on this kind of day to spend the morning indoors," sighed Eliwood. With one last glance over his shoulder, he bid the pair farewell and left the nursery to prepare for the morning's events.

Once Eliwood was out of earshot, Ninian turned to Rebecca, her former smile replaced by a look she had worn often during the ordeal with the Black Fang. "May I have a moment of your time?" Rebecca nodded, her expression stating clearly that she knew something was amiss. "I need to know something that may seem strange, but... After the unfortunate incident with Durandal, did my brother ever explain Nergal's aspirations?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Ninian took Rebecca's arm and led her to a bench against the wall, eying the closed door nervously. "I mean... Did Nils ever explain to anyone the importance of our dragonstones?"

"Not that I know of. He may have said something to Lord Eliwood at some point, but I never had the opportunity to overhear their conversations. What is a dragonstone?"

"Oh." Ninian's fingers twitched in her lap, hinting at an uneasiness that was threatening to spill out all at once. "Well... A dragon, when in human form, must seal its power into a special stone. A dragon cannot live in human form without one. This world's air is suffocating to... my other body. I find it quite hard to live here, even like this, but as long as I can draw power from my dragonstone, I will be fine."

Rebecca sensed that her lady was not searching for pity. She nodded to demonstrate her understanding, though she could not mask the concern in her emerald eyes. "So, once your energy is exhausted...?"

"I will die." Ninian smiled sadly at the notion, staring at the floor now. "Trust me; my power was great enough upon my resurrection that I will live for a long, long time. I will most likely outlive my lord husband and all the friends I have made here. That isn't my problem, though."

"Then what is the matter?"

"My son."

The young widow reached her conclusion rather quickly. "You mean... His dragon blood is affecting him?"

"Yes." Ninian paused, looking to the crib where their children were curled up. "This is... a very serious cause for concern. I believe that Roy will age like a human boy until he is between fifteen and twenty winters old, but... a dragon, even in human form, will retain its vitality for centuries. It will take several thousand years for him to look remotely near Sir Marcus's age, if you need a visual."

"And men have been searching for the fountain of youth all this time."

Ninian turned to look at her friend once more, taking her hand. "That is my point. I do not know if my son will be able to fill the mold this society has prepared for him. You met my brother, correct? At the time of his return to our world, he was exactly one thousand and twenty-one years old, granted that he spent very little time as a human before we assumed our dragon forms."

Rebecca frowned. "How old are you, m'lady?"

"...That is a secret." The beautiful dragon woman smiled deviously. "All things considered, there is plenty of time to find a way to help my son. The real reason I wanted to talk to you does involve his dragonstone, however. You see, I had to create one just after he was born, had to seal his power away in those first few minutes of his life; that is why I slept for so long."

"That does explain it."

"I was going to ask if you would care for it in my absence. Roy must not have access to it, though, or he may... he may be seduced by its power. He may have the same abilities as I and Nils do, and it would be best if they were suppressed, do you not agree? Besides that, while it will be immensely difficult for him to attain the form of a dragon in this world, I do not think it wise to tempt fate."

"But... without his stone nearby, will he not suffer?"

"He will be fine as long as it is not destroyed."

Rebecca put a finger to her chin. "Then, would it not be best to send it to Lady Ostia? I'm certain that she could hide it someplace he wouldn't be able to access. I would love to keep it, but frankly, I do not trust myself. I would either lose it, or he would come into contact with it."

"Very well. That is a grand idea." Ninian relaxed quite visibly, her characteristic serene smile set in place once more. "Ostia is not so far away. If there were a need for me to channel its energy to him, I could obtain it within a day. Thank you."

Their conversation was interrupted by a quick knock at the door. Ninian hardly had the time to respond before it opened, revealing her husband in his newest formal attire. "Ninian, love, will you accompany me to the main hall? My cousins from Etruria want to speak to you something desperate." His apology was clearly written across his face.

...Not that Ninian would have turned him down, either way. "Of course. Rebecca, I will let you know how it goes."

"Of course, m'lady."

After standing and brushing the rumpled fabric of her skirts, Ninian allowed her husband to take her by the arm, and they left the nursery together. "I've never been overly fond of the ceremonies before the harvest festival," the man said as they walked along the cold hallway. "What do you say we go for a walk this evening, when nobody's paying attention? We'll give them the slip and have some fun."

"Lord Eliwood!"

"I didn't mean that kind of fun!" Eliwood laughed and pulled her close, stopping for just a moment to nuzzle her pale hair lovingly. "We'll just go out and see the stars... like we used to do, you know? And then tomorrow night at the ball, we'll dance until I have to carry you to our bedroom, and then we'll pass out from exhaustion so quickly that we won't remember any of it."

"That sounds very appealing," she whispered. While she did love dancing, being in front of so many people and being expected to lead them all? It was rather nerve-racking for her, and Eliwood knew it. However, his words would quickly come back to haunt him, for the next night at the ball, someone did wind up passing out from exhaustion, but it wasn't his wife and it wasn't hidden from the eyes of every person in that room. Why, word reached Ostia in a record amount of time, and young Lady Florina could only wait for her husband to come home to hear the bad news. Lord Eliwood of Pherae had lost consciousness for no apparent reason while dancing with his wife.

* * *

Lyndis of Caelin was welcomed home warmly, despite her abdication of the throne being the decision that had changed their land so much. Why, as soon as people recognized her in the streets, they began cheering and offering her words she had never expected to hear. "We love our Lady Lyndis," they sang. "She has come to grace us with her beautiful face once more! Her heart is true, and she must love Caelin dearly."

Sometimes, Lyn regretted giving up the throne for the simple life that she now led. She missed the friends she had made here, and she especially missed her most trusted friends and servants: Florina, the timid Ilian knight; Wil, the wandering archer boy; Sain, the too-honorable scoundrel of a knight; and, the man who now served Lord Hector as Steward of Caelin, her dear Kent, the too-serious stick-in-the-mud that she wouldn't have let change for the world. They had all been her cherished friends and servants at the same time, and they had made her days in Caelin happy ones, despite her struggles to adapt to her new life. Florina had always been running away from Sain, who knew not when to stop, and Wil, who didn't quite understand why the girl vanished every time he showed up, though she had oftentimes been completely fine around Kent, who chided Sain's behavior and did his best to teach Wil how to be a proper gentleman...

Oh, those had been fun days, running to escape her advisers and going on adventures out in the castle town! But now, did they even care anymore? Florina had wed Lord Hector, and Kent was surely very busy up in the castle, and Sain had gone off to marry a Pheraen girl in Lord Eliwood's service, and Wil... well, the last she knew, Wil had been trying to make amends with his family in Pherae and doing minor work for Lord Eliwood whenever needed, but Florina's last letter had revealed him as missing in all courts of Lycia, and that was somewhat bothersome.

As she spoke kind and gentle words to the people whom she had so selfishly abandoned, Lyn failed to notice the men pouring out of the castle until it was too late. Before she knew what was happening, exactly, many of the sentries who had once served her and who had been so hurt by her departure were kneeling before her on the dusty road, and leading them all was an all-too-familiar mop of orange hair. Lyn couldn't think, couldn't speak, until two warm brown eyes looked up at her with a mixture of -what? What were Kent's eyes telling her? He was happy, he was hurt, he had missed her? But he looked so terribly tired!

"M'lady Lyn of the Kutolah, welcome back," he said slowly, steadily. He did not rise from his kneel, gazing up at her with that mixed expression of shock and happiness. "Shall I escort you to the castle?"

"Oh, Kent, get up," she laughed at long last, reaching down to take one of his large hands into her own. "I'm not your liege anymore. I should think that you would cease that attitude."

"Never, Lady Lyn," he chuckled. "In my heart, you are still my Lady. This knight shall serve you forevermore as such."

Lyn was at a loss for words as she released his hand and, instead, took his arm properly. Something deep down was telling her that, somehow, everything was going to be all right now. As they ambled towards the castle, she found herself speaking as easily to him as she once had; after all, he had been the only one there for her during the process of the abdication, and he had been, for lack of better terminology, her best friend in the world during that time. He was always selfless in his actions, such as taking on the rule of Caelin, but it always was... only for her. Never mind that she was four months along with another man's child; she felt those old feelings resurfacing as quickly as she'd shoved them away.

* * *

Much, much editing was done to this chapter. I didn't appreciate how awkward it was being, and I still don't like its flow, or the fact that there were two installments of Ninian and Eliwood's life together, while Lyn's segment is very short. Then again, the first focused mostly on Rebecca, but on the other hand, the second also had a lot of her in it. I don't know. There was just no way to condense or combine them without totally messing up what I already had written. And rewrites are totally not my style. /cool flair

On the topic of Lyn, I think, perhaps, even if Kent were a good steward, the people of Caelin would kind of grow to miss her. I mean... her personality was probably like "what" at first, but I think her kindly spirit would have shown through after the events of FE7, especially after she returned to free the castle with Eliwood and Hector. This probably wouldn't actually happen in any real sort of setting in history, but I thought of the possibility of it, and it stuck. It fits the story, anyhow.

This, the chapter for which the story was named (in a roundabout sort of way). We hint at problems that may arise in the second generation, and... Hoh snap. Florina is obviously very, very happy to see Wil. Can you see where this is going? Oswin, don't just stand there, you douche.

Also, it would appear that /I just killed Sain/. For what purpose? Well, of course, for /Rebecca's storyline development/ (which I suck at, obviously, judging by the OOC I dumped all over her). I would say "What a twist!" but you haven't seen the half of it yet.

Edit: Disregard that. I managed to recover parts of a few of the files. I should be able to rebuild the next five chapters easily enough... So. Yay!


	4. Chapter Four: Peace Descending

AKA the chapter in which Ninian keeps saying /the wrong things/. And you can totally tell that I'd just finished reading a book of the letters exchanged between Marie Antoinette and her mother when I wrote this. I apologize in advance; this chapter was partially rewritten due to issues with things and stuff like that. It's not as good as it once was, and it is considerably shorter, but I feel that it will do. If there are any strange errors that I've missed, do please let me know and do not feel bad about it. File corruption is the enemy of all writers everywhere.

Also, forgive me. I can't write Kent or Lyn, so their part involves very little characterization or plot development.

* * *

**Chapter Four : Peace Descending**

"Please don't worry, Ninian." Eliwood's words sounded as weak as he currently looked. All Ninian could do was nod, though she knew she was being false. The doctor had told Eliwood that he needed to relax or his body may give out on him completely, so, naturally, she wanted to do her best to stay strong for him – her poor husband didn't need to feel sorry for her or for anyone else in his time of need. "I'm sorry.I can't imagine how hard things are going to be, but... I'll pull through as long as you keep faith, I promise."

"You are the one who shouldn't worry yourself like this, my lord," whispered Ninian, tenderly brushing a stray lock of his fiery hair from his face. "I'm not so helpless. I have Sir Marcus and Rebecca here to help take care of things, and Mother is being such a dear, helping watch over the boys so that Rebecca can help me even more. She really does enjoy her grandson, love. You don't have to thank any of us – we all love you and want you to get better, and we will all help out until you recover. That's what family is for, is it not?" Ninian's views of 'family' still warmed Eliwood's heart to no end. The sweet girl had taken even the maids as dear friends as soon as she came to Pherae, and she hadn't changed a bit. Rebecca may well have been reborn as her human sister now, as close as the two were.

The man smiled up at his wife and took her hand, bringing it to press against his lips for a short moment. "I love you," he murmured. "I will do my best to sleep well and relax, if you will promise me that you will not overwork yourself. Come to me right away if there is _any_ problem you think I should know about. Is that all right with you?"

"If Bern declares war on the rest of the free world, I may have to disturb your rest," she ceded. "Otherwise, I'll find another solution. I'll let you know about everything that happens – I know how much you love your people – but only after it's resolved. You really mustn't disobey the doctor, dear."

"That will be fine. You're always on top of things... I really have to reason to worry, do I?"

"Of course not." Ninian took her hand from his and spread her fingers across the blanket, just above his heart. She sat silently for a moment before leaning down to kiss his forehead and then his lips, and though she did not want to leave his side, she knew that she must soon begin the work for the day, or it would never get done. Reluctantly, she pulled up and stared down into his tired blue eyes with her own red, hoping in the names of Fala and Ninis, in the names of Sety and Thor, that she wouldn't waver in the slightest, that she would be strong for her husband while he took the proper time to recover, and that she could at least fool him into thinking that she was ready to perform his work for him until he was able to get out of bed. He bought it quickly enough, smiling just like the man with whom she'd fallen so deeply in love, that way that made her feel so much stronger than she dared to think she could be. Lord Eliwood was a very special man, and she would protect him as he had always protected her.

"Ninian... I trust you. I know I've nothing to fear. I'm just being overly sentimental, as usual."

"But that's what Lord Eliwood does best," she teased. He hadn't the time to fake a frown before she was on her feet once more, smiling down at him. "Go to sleep, love. I will visit you with supper."

"I miss you already."

"Don't you _dare_ start that, you."

* * *

Wil had taken breakfast with Lady Florina for the third day in a row now; it seemed Raven and Lucius had found something interesting in Ostia, themselves, and had allowed him to keep up regular visits to the castle. The ladies of the court were always happy to see him; they apparently found his stories amusing, and did not think a second thought about his friendship with their Lady liege. Why, it was obvious why anybody's spirits could be lifted so high when he was around, although he seemed just as clueless as ever about the advances the women had made on him multiple times now. This morning, however, some horrible news had come along with the tea and cake and startled him out of his usual cloud of cheerfulness, and neither of the odd couple could eat more than the smallest few bites of the delicious food. Florina had trusted Wil to keep the contents of this letter confidential, and had read it aloud for him.

"My dear friend Florina of Ostia, I have bad news to bear yet again. Were it not bad enough that Rebecca's dear Sain fell from the illness that nearly took King Mordred, the doctors who have taken residence here in the castle believe that my Eliwood may have the same fate in store. I'm certain that you heard of his spell the other night – news does travel fast when it's bad news, after all – and I apologize for not writing to you right away. I've been quite busy with my own duties, as well as hearing the problems of the people at court and the farmers who have traveled here to see my lord instead of tending to their crops in this drought. I must say, how Lord Eliwood handled all this on his own is beyond me. Rebecca and Sir Marcus have been at my side since the incident, and all three of us together are having trouble keeping up with that which my lord accomplishes before sundown each day. He always made it look so easy.

"It's no wonder he took to the illness so quickly. Why, he must have been exhausted from all this, day in and day out! And yet he remains kind and sweet to everybody, even those who intentionally try his patience! Thank the heavens above and my dear ancestors for Lady Mother, lest my dear son be cast aside and forgotten in some forsaken child pen in the nursery. You humans are very strange in some aspects. I can barely concentrate without my tiny Roy in my arms, yet everybody else seems to be the opposite. Also, as I must lighten the mood somehow, Rebecca is quite relieved that my son has stopped trying to make a meal of her friendly little Wolt. In all honesty, he was only trying to play. I still stand by my first explanation, but they tease yet.

"At least my husband's spirits are high as he lays there in bed. He seems a bit healthier, I think, and I hope that my speculations are correct in that he only collapsed from fatigue and his terrible habit of skipping meals for days on end. Men will forever elude my understanding, especially this one. Oh, Florina, I could fill a library with stories about him and some of the things that slip out of that smart mouth of his.

"I am holding up well enough, as I have the people of Pherae to depend on. They are so caring and they love their Lord Eliwood very much; there have not been any reports of even the usual scuffles in the marketplace – everyone is on their best behavior as they wait for good news. I really could use some, myself, but it is not so bad. I would gladly do this every day for the rest of my life, if only he recovers soon and does not have to suffer in pain anymore. Were he to die, I do not know what I would do. How does one teach a young boy how to be like his father, if there is no father left to give as an example?

"Sir Marcus has been especially quiet; you know how much he cares for my husband, and it makes my heart ache to see the sad look in his eyes when I tell him that Eliwood must spend another day in bed. Loyalty like his is so hard to find. I only hope that when my little Roy grows up and takes Pherae as his own, he will have such wonderful people to support him.

"Here I am, rambling on about nonsensical things when I should be asking about your own health. I heard from one of Lord Eliwood's visiting Etrurian cousins that your stomach ailment has gone, and I hope that the news was true. I'm waiting for a letter any day now, with news inside that will make me so very happy as if I were a mother again, myself. I know that you will fill your new role wonderfully, even if you have a son as boisterous as his father. I bid thee good luck and love, my dear friend, and do be sure to write back as soon as possible. I need a bit of a distraction now and again. With as much love and adoration as a letter written past midnight can hold, your friend Ninian of Pherae."

"Seems 'though she's a lot stronger that I would've expected," Wil said quietly. "It's good to know that Lord Eliwood has someone so reliable around to help. I really hope he doesn't... well..."

"Oh, I hope not either. Ninian would be just devastated. I don't know what she would do. He is the reason she stayed behind in this world, after all." Florina dropped another cube of sugar into her tea, seeming not to notice that she had done this five times beforehand. She also didn't notice the strange look her companion was giving her because of it. "I'd like to think that she would be able to stay, but... perhaps it would be best for her to return home if that situation does arise. Of course, her son would have to stay behind to take his father's place, and she does hate to be apart from her baby."

"I thought Nils sealed the Gate?"

"Well, that's what I thought, too." Florina lifted her cup to her lips and took a sip – only a sip – of her tea before recoiling, placing it back on its saucer, and staring quite offendedly at it. Wil almost laughed, were it not for the topic at hand. "I seem to recall her writing me, though, several years ago. It was during the time when we feared her unable to conceive. One of her first ideas in the worst-case scenario was to return home, and she seemed confident that she could break the seal on Valor if she visited Bern, though she was very hesitant to release the details to me, and I still have no idea what it was all about."

"Makes you wonder what she knows, and we don't." Wil leaned back in his chair and looked up to the ceiling, deep in thought. "They say that dragons are _exponentially_ smarter than humans, but they never tell you 'bout what. I mean, look at all the stuff you can find in Etruria – there are some right geniuses in Aquleia, I'll have you know; but, dragons don't have a use for any of our weapons or machines, and they don't care much about dolls and playthings for children. What is it that makes that so?"

"That's a very good question." Florina sighed softly and played with a loose lock of her hair, staring off a bit as well. "I've never thought it a good idea to ask Ninian. It seems a bit too cold and unfriendly to bring up in normal conversation, but I don't think she would take offense, either, now that I'm pondering on it. She's always very sweet and understanding with other information pertaining to her other half, and if you were to look through the letters she's written me in the past, Wil, you would see how much she has had to rethink since she and Lord Eliwood were wed. It's been so hard for her, but... she loves him. It is quite possibly the most endearing of her traits."

"I never got too close to her," he said in return. "I mean, I know things _about_ her. She's too quiet and very kindhearted, that much I'm sure of, but I can only recall speaking to her once, aside from hellos and goodbyes in passing or normal everyday stuff. It was in Castle Caelin, the night before she and Nils up and left our company."

"Oh? What did you talk about?"

"Flowers and family." Wil looked at her and smiled, though it wasn't his usual carefree grin. "She caught me staring out at the gardens, and she kinda scared me, to tell the truth. I didn't hear her walk up, and the next thing I know, she's right behind me sayin' in that quiet little voice of hers, 'I've never seen you look so sad before.' I think I scared her back when I jumped up and yelled at 'er, though."

Florina giggled behind her hand. "The both of us had the worst luck trying to get anyone's attention back then. I'm sure she's resolved that, though. I know that I have."

"Yeah, well, she recovered pretty quick. I apologized, she apologized, and we stood there apologizing for a good ten minutes before she asked me what I'd been thinking about."

"And what was it that you were thinking about?"

"How the flowers die every winter. I told her about... how I loved the snow, but hated that everything had to die when it came. She got real quiet then, and she agreed after a while." He looked rather pensive while saying this all, Florina thought, and she couldn't help but watch how his eyes shone when he got so emotional. When she had first met Wil, she hadn't thought him capable of being so sensitive about anything, especially not such trivial matters, but she'd come to know better after they had fought together at Lyn's side for a while. He was ideally high-spirited, but he wasn't completely ignorant. "I feel bad about it sometimes. I mean, with what she is, I probably upset her very much."

"I'm sure she forgave you. There was no way that you could have known, so she probably didn't think twice about it."

"Yeah, I guess..."

"You look upset. Is that all the both of you said?"

"No, I guess not. I asked her then, 'What's it like to travel around with someone who you know is always gonna be there for you?' I'd been... kinda thinking about my family, and about Dan and Rebecca, too. She just smiled all pretty like and cheered up. I reckon she really must miss Nils, because she went on and on about how they'd been by themselves since they were just kids, and even though he was younger, he always helped her out and kept her safe. He was a good kid, Lady Florina."

"I do miss him," she agreed. "I can remember the two of you playing around at the campfire, you know. We were like a big family back then, weren't we?"

"Heh. Those two had an excuse, though. They really were. But, you know, she never went anywhere without him unless she was with Lord Eliwood." He paused, and then, "Anyway, she asked me if I had someone like that, who would watch my back and just... be there, and I told her no. So, she asked if there was someone I _wanted_ to be by my side, and I couldn't really think of anyone, so I said no again. Then she asked if I had _any_ family, and it surprised me, 'cause not even Lady Lyn asked about that until a lot later on." Wil's smile turned quickly into a grimace at mention of that subject.

"Well, what did you tell her?" Florina knew that it had been a sensitive topic at the time; in fact, it still was. After all, Wil had left home when he was only twelve years old, abandoning his mother and father for his dreams and the promise of striking it rich somewhere in the world – anywhere but Pherae. He had his reasons, of course, and they weren't so petty, but she didn't think that he would have told Ninian so long ago after just meeting her. She was quite curious as to the exchange that had taken place between two of her closest friends.

"I-I told her that I didn't." He swallowed. "She got kind of quiet and nodded 'er head once. I think she knew I was lying, really, but she just looked at those dying flowers and said... 'Everyone has a family; they just have to find it for themselves sometimes. They may not be blessed with brothers or sisters, and they may not have met their parents or grandparents, but there will always be a family waiting for them somewhere out in the world, whether it's one special person or many. I think that you'll find them someday, Wil.' Then she smiled in that way that only someone who's really a few hundred years old and knows everything about you can, and she said goodbye and walked off like we'd never even talked. I didn't even tell 'er goodbye. I didn't even know she knew my name."

Florina felt herself smile despite the news that had been delivered that morning. "That's just like Ninian."

"She really helped me out. She knew just what to say to cheer me up, and she hardly knew me."

"She _is_ wonderful like that."

"I can see why Lord Eliwood cherishes her so much. I think you're the only other person I've ever met who's as caring and sweet as her, really." Wil's shoulders sank a bit, and he looked down at his tea, now lukewarm from neglect. "You know, I... I think that if I ever meet a girl half as pretty and nice as you, I'll marry her in a heartbeat."

Florina couldn't find any words to say. She sat there, frozen, unblinking, until he looked back up into her eyes and smiled in that characteristically Wil sort of way, though there was something in his eyes that she couldn't read. She could hardly breathe as his lips moved and his voice met her ears once more.

"I don't think that'll ever happen, though."

The man excused himself from the room before the lady of the castle could say a single word, leaving a nearly-full cup of tea and a slice of cake that had hardly been touched atop the table. That was the exact moment when Florina knew something terrible would happen; she knew Wil, and Wil never wasted food.

* * *

"Oh, Kent. I'm so sorry to hear that." Lyn of the Kutolah and the Lorca, the very same Lyndis of Caelin, gazed upon her former knight with sorrowful eyes this morning. Kent had been whisked away by duty the night upon which she had arrived and had remained absent for another two nights afterward. However, upon waking, she had received a young girl who was most likely no older than seven winters, who had relayed a message for her ill mother – an invitation to dine with the acting steward of Caelin. Lyn had smiled at the girl and thanked her with a bracelet made of wooden beads; it had done her heart well to see the wonder in the lass's wide eyes as she hurried off to help her mother back to bed, and the good feeling had lasted until this very moment. "I had no idea. It doesn't seem illness would be the thing to take Sain from our world."

"It was... a shock, to say the least, m'lady, but I'm glad that he got to meet his son before he passed; perhaps that was why he didn't take the illness as severely as King Mordred at first. The last time I met him was some year ago, and he seemed so healthy then, loved his wife and his home dearly. He could scarcely wait to start a family." Despite the cool expression on his face, Lyn knew that their conversation was wearing deep on her old friend. The way his fingers drummed on the tabletop, the way his other hand kept finding itself pulling at his hair – both were telltale signs of stress and sadness that he did not deserve. "After he married the girl, he didn't so much as look at another woman, you know."

"I had no doubts that he would straighten up eventually." She spoke calmly though the memories were threatening to make her cry, or maybe laugh, considering this was Sain they were talking about. "Do you remember how he would chase poor Florina about? She was absolutely terrified of him!"

Kent nodded. "Who would have thought that she would become Lady Ostia, in all honesty? It seems like just last week that she was here with the other knights, trying to stay in the very back of the rows so that nobody would see her. Now, she's off with hundreds of men staring at her day in and out, and word is that she hardly wavers at all."

"That is good news," mused the beauty before him. "Perhaps Hector – err, Lord Hector – has done more for her than I thought he'd be able to. That man wasn't as bad as I tried to make him out to be sometimes, but I didn't want Florina to get hurt. Tell me, was it wrong of me to judge him so harshly?"

"Of course not," said Kent without a moment's hesitation. "That's what makes you yourself – you always do your best to insure the safety of others before your own. We all looked up to you for it, never once condemned you."

"That's good to hear." Lyn sighed softly, sending a few strands of her verdant hair askew. "When she told me that she loved him, I nearly died of the shock. When he told me that he loved her, though, and that he was going straight to Fiora to ask for her hand... if I would approve, I guess I had to let her go. She seemed so happy when I left for Sacae, and it's relieving to know that I didn't make the wrong choice. I just never took the time to imagine that Florina would be married before me, let alone married at all, and especially not to a big, hulking lummox."

Kent could have died of choking that morning if he'd raised his cup a fraction of an inch higher before she said those words. Why, he laughed until he cried, and then some more. Lyn had never seen him express any sort of joy so forthright, but when he didn't seem to be stopping, she joined in, quietly at first, until his uncharacteristic giddiness took her full force and she descended into the same state of unawareness.

When their laughter subsided, Kent dried his eyes before looking at her once more, a smile she'd never seen gracing his lips. "I have missed your frank attitude," he admitted. "Things around here aren't half as interesting as they were when you were going about, trying to change it all."

Lyn shook her head, her shoulders still trembling a bit. "I'm sure things were no better or worse when I was here; you're just making it up. But that aside, and if you will forgive me the sudden change in subject, have you heard from Wil as of the late? You've told me of Sain and of Florina, and I can't help my curiosity."

"Actually, I haven't," said her old friend. He waited until her shoulders had fallen in disappointment before continuing. "The good news is, I sent a trusted friend to Ostia at the end of last week to deliver a report to Lord Hector about the state of the canton. While he was there, he heard rumors of Lady Florina taking breakfast with one of the men with whom she used to serve as a knight, and during his free time, he looked into the matter – out of sheer curiosity, of course. It turns out Lady Florina managed to contact, through her sister Farina's friend Dart – or Dan, depending on who you ask, our very own Wil, thereby rendering all reports of him as a missing person obsolete. I've half a mind to send him a scolding, but the news was so good to hear when I received it yesterday that I haven't yet had the heart to do it. Perhaps when I'm in an especially sour mood someday, I'll take a chance."

Lyn couldn't help but laugh at that, too. After all, Kent had been the one who had taken Wil under his wing as a knight so long ago. She was certain the poor boy had heard plenty of Kent's chiding for a lifetime. "I wonder why he up and left like he did. I must meet with him before I return to Sacae and ask." Kent shifted in a very peculiar way just then, and she took a good look at him before coming to the realization that there was something she was missing. "That is unless, of course, there is ample... _proof_ of something that... _somebody else _would know and be able to share with me?"

"It seems his disappearance was due to our late friend," said Kent quietly. No longer were his words full of happiness and enthusiasm, and that fact alone sent Lyn's heart plummeting deep into her stomach.

"Did something happen after I left?"

"It was a misunderstanding of sorts. It seems, well, Wil was under the impression that Sain was courting Dame Fiora."

"Which he was, correct?"

"Milady, Sain was courting every woman in Lord Eliwood's army."

"...You speak the truth."

"Wil wrote me shortly after the matter, before Lord Hector asked me to take this post, and he didn't mention his whereabouts or provide any clues, either. According to him, he was prepared to ask young Rebecca for her hand when they returned home to Pherae. He admitted that he'd wanted to wait just a while longer, until they were back with their families and he could make everything proper. His mother and father were a tad angry with him yet."

"That was my fault, the whole matter with his parents. I shouldn't have pressured him so if it caused him to run off."

"He didn't mention whose idea what was. He just wrote that he was having some trouble with his mother and father in the aftermath of all that had happened, and though he was running odd errands for Lord Eliwood, his parents were quite sore at him. So, before he could give up on his original plan and just ask the girl, our Sain showed up and asked first."

"Oh."

"Sain didn't know that he loved her," Kent quickly amended. "We talked about it in that last visit we had. He felt awful when he found out, but by then, it was too late to fix anything. After all, he 'couldn't just un-ask Rebecca to marry' him, and he really did love her above all the other women he needlessly flirted with."

"So Wil left without anyone realizing it until it was too late?" This story was as dramatic as some of the tales she'd heard from the old maids here in Castle Caelin who had nothing better to do than gossip and exaggerate that which was too normal for their tastes. She really couldn't help but ask for more, though it hurt terribly that these were her dear friends – so much like strangers in the words that she was currently hearing.

"Err, not quite." Kent pursed his lips, considering his words carefully for a long moment, before speaking once more. "Wil admitted to having a sort of breakdown prior to his departure. Seems he called Sain out to talk him about things, and while it didn't start out as an outright confrontation, they'd both hit the pubs a little too hard. Things were said that shouldn't have been said."

"...Wil? Drinking? Really?"

"Yes. It seems he went through a rough patch for a few weeks there. Sain admits to it being his own fault for not hearing Wil out, though. He told me that, as soon as Wil up and told him that he loved Rebecca too, he went too harshly on the defensive and instead of apologizing, he brought up the situation with Wil running away and leaving her behind when they were just kids as proof of him being unfit to take her hand."

"That was incredibly tactless."

"I agree. And so did Sain, but they were both drunk, and there was no helping it. Wil couldn't defend himself on that one, so he went on about Sain's womanizing, telling him that he didn't deserve a girl like Rebecca after he'd already went off with at least four other women since meeting her. Sain got fed up pretty fast and blamed him right back for you going to Sacae."

"No!"

"Unfortunately, it's true, m'lady. He said that the reason the five of us had gone our separate ways was because Wil was always 'so damn eager to get in everyone's way,' and that it was 'no wonder Florina overlooked a stupid kid like him' for Lord Hector. Sain told me that as soon as those words left his mouth, he knew he'd done something wrong, but he couldn't call Wil back because he knew the damage had already been done. Said Wil had started bawling and just ran away fast as he could before he could say anything at all."

Lyn was silent at that. Part of her wanted to be angry at the both of them, and the other part wanted to find Wil and call Sain back from the world beyond and hug them and apologize for not being there. The misunderstanding – did Rebecca know? Lyn knew she would have set things right as soon as she'd heard, so the answer to her question was apparent: Rebecca must still have been clueless to that very day.

Wil had always been very touchy with subjects that involved bonding with others, especially when it came down to his family or childhood friends. Of course he wouldn't have announced to the world that he wanted Rebecca to be his bride until he was good and ready. On the other hand, Sain was the exact opposite, and perhaps nobody had taken him seriously when he'd first declared his love for the 'beautiful Pheraen girl' who'd accompanied Lord Eliwood to Caelin on that rescue mission. The blame fell on both nobody and the pair of them at the same time.

"Oh, wow," managed Lyn at long last. "I didn't see that coming at all back when we were all still together."

"Nor did I, m'lady. Nor did I."

The pair of them were silent once more, until Lyn looked up at him with a curious look on her face.

"Would you care to join me for a ride? I feel like we could use the time to clear our minds before you set off to slave away for the people all day."

Kent smiled and nodded despite the fact that he was already late for his first audience of the morning. "I'd love to."

* * *

I remember why we had two installments of Ninian's life last chapter. I forgot how much I ignored them here. Oh well, can't be helped. I cannot rewrite this chapter entirely, even though I spent the better part of today fixing the formatting errors and random omitted words throughout the whole thing. I really, really hate it when files corrupt. Also, a lot of my music got hit, too, but that was fixed easily because I actually own CDs for 95% of my music. Go, me.

Eventually, there will be action and things happening and not just crappy foreshadowing dialogue. Or entire chapters focused on Wil. No, he's not my favorite character or anything, stop looking at me like that. And I will admit that the entire thing involving his run-in with Ninian in Caelin was written purely for my own amusement, and I can say something like "It's because they will have interaction in the future and some sort of foundation was needed. Ninian understands Wil, even if neither of them know why; Wil is one of the few who genuinely want to know about dragons for purposes other than exploiting them or learning their magic. Thus, I can write whatever I want, even if it sucks."

I've got about 25% of each of the next three or four chapters recovered. I will have to rewrite the rest. The quality will not be great, but then again, anyone who cares about serious quality wouldn't be reading this badly-written piece of scrapwriting, now, would they?


End file.
